Dense network, intense seismicity and tectonics of Taiwan

Abstract

A temporary seismic network consisting of 295 land stations was deployed in 2009 in Taiwan to monitor airgun sources during an onshore-offshore experiment in Taiwan. We exploit the continuously recorded dataset to detect and map seismicity in the seismically very active Taiwan. By combining recent automatic detection and phase picking techniques, we successfully generate an initial earthquake catalog of over 8400 events. The hypoDD algorithm is used to relocate and filter these events. This network recorded smaller events than the permanent regional network because of the many stations around the high mountain ranges and the generally high station density along 6 lines. The results based on the 2009 data generally reproduce the dominant seismicity features from many years of earthquake monitoring in Taiwan. In addition, we map hitherto unknown dipping zones under the Foothills and the Central Range that may correspond to seismogenic structures.